ROACHE, John
| Service Number: | 3107 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 June 1916, Toowoomba, Queensland |
| Last Rank: | Private |
| Last Unit: | 3rd Machine Gun Battalion |
| Born: | Yearinga, Victoria, Australia, 4 October 1887 |
| Home Town: | Kaniva, West Wimmera, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Yearinga State School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Selector |
| Died: | Tuberculosis, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia, 14 October 1921, aged 34 years |
| Cemetery: |
Warringal Cemetery, Victoria |
| Memorials: | Kaniva Shire of Lawloit WW1 Roll of Honor, Tara Shire WW1 Roll of Honor |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Jun 1916: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Private, 3107, Toowoomba, Queensland | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Feb 1917: | Involvement AIF WW1, Private, 3107, 42nd Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '18' embarkation_place: Sydney embarkation_ship: HMAT Wiltshire embarkation_ship_number: A18 public_note: '' | |
| 7 Feb 1917: | Embarked AIF WW1, Private, 3107, 42nd Infantry Battalion, HMAT Wiltshire, Sydney | |
| 20 Jul 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, Machine Gun Companies and Battalions | |
| 23 Oct 1917: | Transferred AIF WW1, Private, 23rd Machine Gun Company | |
| 14 Dec 1917: | Wounded Private, 3107, 3rd Machine Gun Battalion, Gassed | |
| 2 Aug 1918: | Discharged AIF WW1, Private, 3107, 3rd Machine Gun Battalion |
Private John Roache of Lillimur, Victori
From How We Served
3107 Private John Roache of Lillimur, Victoria had been employed as a selector, and was working in Toowoomba, Queensland when he enlisted for War Service on the 16th of June 1916. John was allocated to reinforcements for the 42nd Battalion, 1st AIF and was embarked for England and further training on the 7th of Feburary 1917. Months after his arrival in England, John was transferred over to reinforcements for the 3rd Machine Gun Battalion with which he would then embark for France with on the 23rd of October, shortly before they were to be committed to the Third Battle of Ypres
John's service with his new Unit would be continuous, but plagued by sickness due to the living conditions which surrounded him, both earlier in England whilst in training, and then exhuberated after his having arrived in the trenches. On the 31st of December 1917. John was returned to England for hosptalisation due to having contracted chronic bronchitis. There would be no recovery in his health, and by the 21st of April 1918 John was embarked for Australia being now deemed as an invalid. John was further diagnosed as suffering fabrosis of the lung and was formally discharged from the 1st AIF as disabled due to his service in the War.
John would go on to be in need of constant medical care after being diagnosed as having contracted pulmonary turberculosis. On the 14th of October 1921 John subcumbed to his war caused illness whilst a patient in the Repatriation Wing of the Austin Hospital and was laid to rest within Warringal Cemetery, Victoria. John was aged 34, and left behind a widow.
Submitted 14 June 2019 by Evan Evans
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